Display box



Jar-l. 18, 1949. v w, R, LEE l 2,459,565

Y DISPLAY Box Filed April 10, 1946 A IN VEN TOR. W/Y//am Raymond l. ez

/N VEN TOR Patented Jan. 18, 1949 UNITED STATES` PATENT OFFICE'.`

DISPLAY BOX William Raymond Lee, San Mateo, Calif. l Application April 10, 1946, Serial No. 660,964

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to fillers and particularly that type of iiller adapted to form a portion of a display and shipping box for liowers.

Display boxes and shipping boxes are, of course, old. However, all such boxes which have been used in the past are subject to certain speciiic disadvantages. For example, in the shipping and display of perishable items such as flowers, and particularly gardenias, none of the prior devices have been satisfactory.

Generally speaking, shipped in boxes. The bottom `of the box is lined with soft material such as cotton and the flowers placed thereon. A second layer of material over lies the owers, and in some cases, a second layer of flowers is laid upon the second layerl f n1aterial, and so on, until the desired number of layers is obtained. It will be appreciated that since the flowers are fragile, many will become damaged by contact with the cotton. Furthern more such a device does not provide a suitable display cabinet or box.

It is an object of the present invention to pro vide a box and filler therefor in which owers may be shipped and suitably displayed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a display box in which the flowers are held in spaced relationship with respect to the box and free from contact with any portion of the box or with any other flower or foreign matter whatsoever.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a shipping box which may also be used as a display box.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a flat sheet blank incorporating my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the flat sheet blank shown in Figure 1 when certain portions of the same have been bent, as will hereinafter be more fully described, to form a filler.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional elevation taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view of the filler as l:tlnally folded when placed within the shipping As shown in the drawing, I have provided a at sheet blank I0 which has been scored and cut as will more fully be described.

gardenias are usually Generally flat sheet blank I0 is scored along the dotted lines and is cut along the full lines as shown in Figure 1 to provide a pair of longitudinal strips II and I2 at each side thereof, a plurality of spacing portions I3, I4, I5 and I6 as shown, a plurality of gusset portions ITI, I8 and I9 and a plurality of extending tabs 2I, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 21 and 28.

The longitudinal strips Il and I2 at each side `of the device are adapted to be folded to vertical positions along the scored lines 3I and 32. The gussets I1, I8 and I9 are adapted to be folded to their ultimate position along lines 341,` 35, 3B, 31, 38, 39, 40, 4I and 42.

When the appropriate folds have been made as described in the preceding paragraph, the device assumes the shape shown in` Figure 2. End tabs 22, 23, 26 and 21 may then be folded to a vertical position along the scorings 44, 45, 46 and 41 respectively, whereupon tabs 2I, 24, 25, 28 are folded vertically with respect to ends II and I2 along scorings 58, 5I, -52 and 53 respectively.

As has previously been explained there are certain out portions in the flat sheet blank I0. All of these cut portions are substantially identical and will therefore be referred to but once. Cuts are identical and penetrate the flat sheet providing tabs 58 as shown. Tabs 56 in turn are provided with an orifice 51 and four radiating cuts 58 extending therefrom as shown. Orifice 51 is adapted to receive the stem of a flower 59 as shown in Figure`4. Cuts 58 form a series of tabs extending inwardly toward orifice 51 thereby providing resiliency to the edges of the orifice whereby irregularities in the stems may be conformed with. It is obvious that when either of the folds 35, 38 or 4I is made that the tabs 56 will free themselves from the plane of the flat sheet blanks I0 and extend upwardly as shown in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5.

When the filler has been bent along the dotted lines as previously described herein it is fitted into a box B0 generally as shown. The width of box 8B is slightly greater than the combined width of the spacing portions I3, I4, I5 and |61 so that the gusset members I1, I8 and I9 will be substantially triangular in cross section and that the scored portions 34 and 36, 31 and 39, and 48 and 42, respectively, will be separated slightly. When the iller is within the box 60 as shown in Figure 5 longitudinal strips II and I2 which have been folded vertically will lie adjacent the wide walls of the box and tab members 2I through 28 inclusive will lie adjacent the end walls.

Any suitable sort of box cover may then be placed over the entire assembly. Preferably the box cover might have a transparent panel therein so that the contents of the box may be viewed without removing the cover. However, this is a matter of individual preference.

As shown in Figure 5 the tabs 23 and 24, 2l and 22, 25 and 26, and 27 and 23 may be stapled to each other and to the box 69 as by means of a conventional 'staple 62. In this manner the spaced relationship of members I 3, I4, I5 and I6 is .assured together with the triangular sections of gusset portions I, IB and I9. It may also Jbe desirable at times to insert staples 63 in the gusset portions I7, I8 and I9 generally as shown in Figure 5. Since the sheet blank is ilexible staples 83 may be utilized without destroying the triangular section of the gussets previously referred The method of construction of the box hasl heretofore been fully explained. It .should be pointed out that the flowers in the box when the same have been placed in tabs 56 by means of having their stems passed through orices 5l `are not in contact with any portion of the box nor with any foreign substance whatsoever, nor will the flowers ever be in contact with such portions inasmuch as when the flat vsheet kblank shown in Figure 1 has been folded, as shown .in Figures 2, 3 and Zl, and placed in the outer box, as shown in Figure -5, the same may not move with respect to the box land the flowers remain in the .same position regardless of the position of the box.

InA a display filler adapted to be placed Within a box, a .ilat sheet blank, a longitudinal side `strip at eac-h vside Yof said blank yadapted to be folded vertically with respect to said blank, alternate rectangular spacing portions parallel to said longitud-inal side strips, la plurality of gusset portions separated by said spacing portions, each gusset portion being scored to form a fold line parallel with and intermediate the edges of the spacing portions adjacent thereto and separating each said gusset portion into two panels of unequal width, spaced U-shaped cuts extending from each of said fold lines into the panel of less width of said two panels with their legs terminating on said fold lines, said gusset portions being adapted to be folded along the fold lines to extend upwardly from the plane of said spacing members and to be parted along the cuts to provide a plurality of tabs extending upwardly from the upper edge of said gussets, said gusset portions and the iloor of lsaid box forming acute triangular sections generally inclined with respect to the floor of the box whereby the front face of one gusset and its plurality lof tabs is substantially parallel with the rear face of the adjacent gusset and tabs, end tabs extending from those spacing portions not adjacent said longitudinal side strips adapted to be folded vertically with respect to said spacing portions, end tabs on said longitudinal side strips which are adapted to be folded inwardly when said side strips have `been folded'vertically to form a corner and to be secured to the vertically folded end tab `extending from the adj aeent spaced spacing portion.

WILLIAM RAYMOND LEE.

REFERENCES kCrimen The'following references are of krecord in the file vof this patent:

UNITED 'STATES PATENTS Num-bei' Name Date 1,170,776 Nagle Feb. 8, 1916 1,561,622 Wagner Nov. 17, 1925 2,309,753 Cowles etal Feb. 2, 1943 2,358,295 y Bacigalupi Sept. 19, 1944 

